Continue history

Last Wednesday, the devastating news broke that the JC was being put into liquidation. The decline in advertising which has put all newspapers at risk turned into a near collapse as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and we do not have enough money to carry on. The JC was not alone – the Jewish News, our competitor with whom we had announced plans to merge, is in the same situation. For the staff, of course, the news has been dreadful. Not simply because we have all lost our jobs but because we have a genuine passion for what we do. Each of us, whether we write, edit the pages, sell advertising, design and produce the paper, work on the accounts or staff our customer services knows that we are part of something far more than just a newspaper.

We are part of history – the 179 year history of the Jewish Chronicle and of British Jewry itself. We are aware of that every moment of every working day – and, trite as it may sound, we really do strive to live up to that responsibility. And you tell us when you believe we have not done so. One thing that makes the JC different to any other paper is that relationship with our readers. For many, we are one aspect of what it means to be a British Jew. That is one of the reasons we are so distraught at the news - but also hopeful that this is not the end for the JC, because the reaction over the past week has been near unanimity that the paper cannot be allowed to die. In that spirit, it is important for us to tell you that we have every intention of continuing to publish without interruption. If you care about the JC, the best thing you can do to ensure our survival is buy it and advertise in it. Thank you.